What do you think of the London Design Festival?

Earlier in the year Sir John Sorrell asked me to be on the Advisory Board of the London Design Festival. 

To be honest I've not paid that much attention to the Festival before and I'm going to use this as my main advantage - looking at the Festival with fresh eyes.

I haven't had anything to do with the current festival, my first Advisors meeting is in October.

And so I'd like your help. What do you think of the festival? Please comment below. I know no-one leaves comments anymore but please make an exception in this case.

Be honest.

 

Comments

[HenryHadlow]

That's good news, Ben.

LDF is mostly about nice things. Chairs, lamps, installations.

But people are just starting to understand the real potential of design as something that helps people and makes life easier, even for mundane stuff. That's probably why they've invited you to join the board.

Celebrating shiny things is easy (shiny things celebrate themselves), and expensive furniture can pay sponsorship. But celebrating mundane stuff is more interesting. Harder, but an important shift in the public understanding of design.

[davidthedesigner]

I followed that link in your post and this is how it's headed: "This article appears to be written like an advertisement".

If I were you I'd start from there.

[Anjali28]

First, well done, that's a nice role to have.

I've been to the Festival for a couple of years now, and what strikes me is how product-focussed it is. Design pervades almost everything we do - processes, systems etc. (it's part of why gov.uk won Design of the Year, non?) so it'd be nice to see the remit of LDF expanding a bit.

It would also be nice to see themes, stories that curate a range of things across different categories rather than disparate if excellent products grouped together in an exhibition.

I'm no design specialist so consider this purely a layperson's POV!

[Markhurrell]

I've never engaged with it at all.

Thought it was a distributed trade fair for next seasons buyers? Like Fashion Week without the influx of fun weirdoes?

I don't have a problem with that even if it doesn't really apply to me, but it doesn't seem like an event open for spectators in the same way a biennale is.

[Futurefabric]

In my limited experience of the event (I've only been once about 4-5 years ago), I found it mainly to be a showcase of products from soft furnishings to chairs.

It was certainly not a reflection of design as I'd understand it.
Such a shame as London is a brilliant city with a great design industry.

If I had to sum up my experience it would be that LDF was a wasted opportunity and a bit irrelevant to a great many people who work in design.

It'd be great to see the event diversify and encompass design in a broader context, with more substance.

Hope you have some ability to influence this!

[Culturalelite]

It's been nicknamed the 'The London Chair Festival' in my circle of friends.

To me it feels horribly out of touch, and only focused on the small handful of industries it feels comfortable with.

[Sitdowncomedian]

I went to Designers Block and found an upmarket craft fair. Awful space, awful layout.

[docemmet]

If there were a problem, and it's something that's meant I have been stuck in lectures that I felt bore no relevance to my interests or to the title of the lecture - is the broad definition of "Design". The whole event is incredibly product design heavy and if it is to represent the full gamut of London Design then - as everyone above has said - it needs to take in so much more.